Behold The Future! Behold Internet Explorer 9!

"By any objective standard, Microsoft has succeeded at the task it set out to do: build a fast, standards-compliant browser with a clean, modern design that integrates well with Windows 7. But is that enough to preserve its shrinking lead in an increasingly competitive field of browsers? Can it convince defectors to end their experiments with Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox and return to the fold?"

The browser wars continue and Microsoft is still making strides to make sure it stays relevant in today's digital marketplace.  With it now being much closer to standards compliant, it almost seems to me as if browsers have become utilitarian, or almost a commodity.  Allowing for minor quirks, websites seem to work in most browsers without a hitch.  Considering the trend towards mobility these days, I think that rendering speed and battery saving features (like hardware acceleration) have become the most important on a technical level though it looks as if everyone is already addressing that.

What will make any browser stand out over any other is likely to be the feel and customizability.  I have seen people very used to a particular pattern on how to do things (I am victim to that myself) so any straying from a rhythm I am used to is bound to make me feel uncomfortable.  What it likely comes down to is that the only reason Internet Explorer could remain dominant is because it being a "default" choice for Windows computers.  With that market also diminishing, it looks like it looks like IE9 is made to stay competitive, not on the top.